


what's your man got to do with me?

by unseenbox



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Feelings Realization, Humor, Original Character(s), Post-Golden Deer Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Relationship Status: It's Complicated, Romance, the 'i've got a boyfriend' defense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22618108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unseenbox/pseuds/unseenbox
Summary: When an esteemed member of the nobility won't get the hint, Ferdinand gives him a clue-by-four.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Dorothea Arnault
Comments: 16
Kudos: 166





	what's your man got to do with me?

Some of the stagehands were still sweeping up roses as Dorothea finally made her way back to her dressing room. She'd been waylaid by the orchestra for a good chunk of time, especially the chatty second violinist, and then the male tenor wanted to know if he hit that high note in the third act. He did, of course, but even if he hadn't, she didn't want to spend too much of her time massaging a bruised ego. She spared a glance to a few of the straggling patrons making their way to the exits.

She wanted to scream. At the patrons for sitting on such comfy seats while the city around them starved. At her co-star for worrying about a solo when mere months ago he may have died in Edie's war. Most of all, she wanted to scream at herself. How could she return to the opera house as if nothing happened? What was wrong with her! She should be outside taking care of the refugees and lost children, not singing arias and wearing lace. She felt proud when she took her bows, but now that pride sat like a stone in her heart. She wove her way through the sprawling backstage to the dressing rooms, hoping that once she removed her costume, she would be able to recognize herself in the mirror.

Lorenz found her in the hallway. A flirt, and only recently a remotely charming one. He smiled his usual cat’s smile as he waved graciously. “I see now why Ferdinand insisted that I come to a performance. You are entirely enchanting, my dear.” He passed a bouquet of roses to her, not too dissimilar from the one he wore in his lapel. Dorothea took the bouquet in hand, feeling the softness of the petals.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Lorenz,” She winked, teasing.

“It is hardly flattery if it is the truth. Tell me, Dorothea, however did you manage to breathe throughout your aria in the third act? It was an absolute triumph.”

“Hmm.” She grinned. “How about you come to my next performance and find out?” She leaned against the wall closest to the door, effortlessly. Flirting with him wasn’t too much of a hardship. And, really, she could do worse than Lorenz. He had the coin and status to keep her comfortable for the rest of her days. He was kind enough. He even started seeing commoners as actual people. But… sometimes she wondered if, and this was a wild thought, if maybe she might deserve better than being someone’s trophy. She was sure Ferdinand had absolutely nothing to do with it.

“An intriguing proposition! I shall have to consider it most sincerely.” Lorenz flipped his hair in a motion he must have practiced in the mirror. He inclined his head, nearly bowing. “Though I really must see where Ferdinand has gone off to. Excuse me.” It took him a moment to plot his course out of the backstage area, but he soon found his legs and used them to walk away towards the auditorium.

Dorothea moved the bouquet to the crux of her arm. She opened her door, sighing. Before she could step inside and start taking off her makeup, someone tapped her on the shoulder with a “Pardon me.”

She turned around, firmly shutting the door behind her. It was… well, it was a complete stranger. The soft face and fancy moustache indicated his noble status, as did his extraordinarily embroidered outfit. His skin was pale and his belly was full from never working a day in his life. His face was wrinkled, but not from any kind of stress that she could see. He seemed twice her age at best.

Nothing for it but to turn on the charm. “Yes? Is there something I can help you with?”

He held a thin jewelry box out to her. “Please, take this gift in honor of your beauty, for you are softer and more delicate than a rose in full bloom.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but only just. It was always flowers with them. As if she were only there to look beautiful on someone’s lapel until she wilted away. Sure, she was a renowned songstress, but only if she sang other people’s songs and never her own. Still, she kept her smile firmly in place as she took the box into her free hand. She doubted he noticed that it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, thank you! You’re too kind.”

This was normally the part where her gift-givers and well-wishers walked away satisfied. Clearly, this noble was cut from a different cloth, as he hovered over her. “Please, open it.”

She was, of course, planning to do so, but being rushed only made her want to dig in her heels. Dorothea fluttered her eyelashes. “Let me get settled in first, okay? Wearing this costume isn’t as comfortable as it looks.”

“If you insist.” When she went to open the door, he moved with her, so she shut it again. He gave her an unimpressed look, scornful. “Well?”

She crossed her arms, scrunching some of the bouquet in the process. Great. Pushy as well as insincere. Just her luck, huh? Dorothea sighed. Might as well just open his gift so he’d walk away already. “On second thought, well, what’s the harm in a few more moments?” She pried the lid of the box up and saw a string of pearls. Her eyes went wide, but her mouth went flat. How much had he spent on them, a gift for a woman he’d never met? A woman he would never spare a second glance to, were they anywhere in the world but the Mittelfrank Opera House.

The noble bowed with a flourish. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Edgar von Airmid. I have admired you from afar, and it is now time to make my dreams reality. Allow me to do you the honor of courting you.”

Funny, how he claimed to love her and yet seemed categorically opposed to using her name. She wondered if he knew it to begin with, or simply counted on her never asking. Content with being called “you” or some variety of sickening pet name for the rest of her days. She held the pearl necklace aloft in her hand, weaving the beads through her fingers. She tried not to look too much like she’d swallowed a lemon, and instead put on a bright, cheery smile.

“Sorry, von Airmid.” Dorothea forced out a giggle as she weighed her options. Normally she could get away with a simple not interested, or perhaps stalling for time, but he seemed the type to take a no from her as an excuse to ignore it. So, she smiled as she reached for an old classic. “As tempting as your offer may be, I’m already being courted by someone else.”

He spluttered like a tuba warming up. “I find that difficult to believe. Tell me, where is the gentleman?”

Dorothea planned to give a suitably coy answer when Ferdinand strolled up. Completely oblivious, of course, all puppyish. Great timing, though, she had to give him that. He waved, bright-eyed, as he reached them. “Hello, Dorothea! I am sorry it took so long to find you. It is like a maze back here!” He looked flustered as he stepped carefully around a box of props. His head caught up with what his eyes was seeing, and when he stood a few feet away, he tilted his head at the other noble. “Is this a friend of yours?”

Dorothea edged her way closer to him, so that they stood to the right of the door and the interloper to the left. Dorothea shook her head, grinning despite herself. It was always nice having a little backup. “Never seen him before in my life.”

von Airmid drew himself up to his full height, pulling on his belt as if the gold plating correlated to his status. “von Aegir, is it?” He nodded to himself, continuing his introductory spiel. “I am Edgar von Airmid. You are the one courting this songstress?”

Ferdinand looked confused for a moment, glancing back and forth between the two of them. Well, it was a nice run, but here came the part where Ferdinand denied everything and left her to the wolves. Okay, probably not the wolves part, but definitely the part where he said something like ‘but we are not courting’ because of some noble inability to tell a lie for his own good. After what felt like an eternity, Ferdinand came to some kind of conclusion. He stepped closer to her, enough that if she wanted, she could duck behind him for cover. He frowned, upset.

“It is clear to me that your presence is unwelcome. If it takes my word for you to cease your pestering, then I shall have to give it.” Ferdinand drew himself up, arms akimbo. “You must apologize for treating her with such little respect.”

“Very well. I apologize, von Aegir.” If he had a hat, he would have doffed it as he bowed.

Ferdinand shouted, “I am not to whom you should apologize!” Dorothea gave a jaunty little wave to help him out.

The noble continued his scowling as if he were on a mission. “Fine!” he barked. “I apologize, songstress, for any insult I have given you,” he said. Amazing, his dedication to not using her name. He turned on his heels to face Ferdinand again. “Now, we have urgent matters to attend to.”

“Do we?” Ferdinand raised a skeptical brow.

“Of course. Give up your claim so that I may court her freely.” He sounded smug enough that he could choke on it.

Ferdinand narrowed his eyes, scoffing. “That is completely out of the question.”

The man barreled on. “Whatever you are paying her, I will quadruple it.”

Ferdinand blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Ferdinand met her eyes. “Dorothea, are all your patrons like this?”

She sighed, long-suffering. “More than you’d think.”

Ferdinand looked sufficiently shame faced. “I see. I shall have to pay better attention to such things.”

The unwelcome noble coughed into his hand for attention. Reluctantly, Ferdinand squinted at him. “Well? What of my offer?”

Ferdinand boggled. “Do you think her incapable of making her own decisions? If she wished to court you, then she would do so with no regard for me.”

Dorothea laid a hand on his jacket cuff. She said, “Well, maybe a little regard,” just to see how the blush spread across his face. He battled for some amount of composure, no easy task, especially as the other noble seemed to be gearing up for another attempt. Persistent, she’d give him that. Funny. Nearly a decade ago, a similarly jumped up noble insisted upon knowing what he’d done to make her despise him. Nearly three months ago, she’d told him. Would she have, if he still thought the world revolved around being better than Edelgard? If she still thought a rich enough husband would fill the holes in her heart with coin? The war picked them up and shook them for all they were worth, and maybe… maybe she had more worth than she thought. Maybe they all did.

von Airmid, though. He must’ve been shaken by a terrible problem shortage at some point. He huffed, fuming. “I know that your house has lost some of its status, but do you really think a von Aegir could be seen in the company of a lowly—”

“That is enough!” Ferdinand stepped forward so that he stood neatly in front of her. He didn’t have a sword on him, but boy, did he look like he wished he did. With the flowing hair and fine silks, he seemed a kind of fairytale. “You may have noble blood, but it is clear to me that you lack a noble heart. Indeed, the only one I see of low birth is you. Leave us at once!”

She was sure her eyes were wide as saucers. She nearly dropped the bouquet to the ground, too. Even after all this time, she never thought that he would… well. Do any of that. Stand up for her at all, really. It’d be easy enough for him to keep her in the dark, only bringing her out when he wanted some eye candy. Sure, she figured Ferdinand had a good heart long ago, but that didn’t mean he’d extend that heart to her, now did it? von Airmid stormed off in a cloud of privilege while Ferdinand glared at him, but she felt miles away as her thoughts whirled around inside.

“Dorothea? Are you well?” Ferdinand had turned to face her, stooping to see her eyes more clearly. “I am sorry. That man… he did not know the first thing about you.” He frowned, hands open and empty. “Please, do not dwell upon him or his words for a moment longer.” A faint blush crossed the bridge of his nose.

Dorothea looked up at him and smiled. It was a weary sort of smile, but it had to count for something. “Don’t worry. I’m getting over it as we speak.”

Ferdinand went red in the face. “I am glad to hear it. But you should not have to get over such things.” Softly, he said, “You are worth more than words can say.”

Dorothea dropped the pearl necklace to the ground. If she ended up kicking it later, well, that was between her and her feet. With her newly freed hand, she reached out to brush some imagined dirt off Ferdinand’s shoulder, then let her hand linger. “Keep hanging around, Ferdie, and I might be able to lend you some of those words.”

She felt one of them right now. It was called ‘loved’. A new one, she thought, but she wouldn't mind getting used to it.


End file.
